Where are they now?: 20 artists who topped the charts in 2000

Carlos Santana played at the original Woodstock in 1969, so for him to come back and have a major hit in 1999 was a huge deal. He was everywhere that year with the hit single “Smooth” featuring Matchbox Twenty’s Rob Thomas. So why talk about him as a 2000’s heavy hitter? Because “Smooth” was so big, it was No. 2 when it came to Billboard’s Year-End Hot 100 singles chart for that year. Today, Carlos Santana is still making music and touring based more on his legacy than hits as none of his releases since 1999 have been as massive.

Rob Thomas made his stamp on music with Matchbox Twenty in the ‘90s adult contemporary meets rock scene, but in 1999, he teamed up with Carlos Santana for “Smooth,” which sent him to new levels. Since then, Rob’s branched out on his own while still maintaining Matchbox Twenty with the band’s last album, Where the Light Goes, dropping in 2023.

Janet Jackson sang "Doesn't Really Matter" for the Nutty Professor II: The Klumps soundtrack, and it later appeared on 2001’s All for You . Jackson continued both in music and in film, and as of late, joined the likes of Celine Dion and Adele with her own Las Vegas residency.

It’s hard to find music like what Savage Garden brought to the table in today’s world. That sweet, sincere adult contemporary music like their 2000 hit, "I Knew I Loved You.” A song meant for prom season, Savage Garden was all over the radio then, but the pair split in 2001, with vocalist Darren Hayes continuing on a solo path.

Today, Pink makes music that one might consider for a fun, inspirational carpool sing-along as what she does is pinnacle Top 40, and proves to be lucrative as she continues to tour with her Cirque du Soleil-esque performances. Back in the year 2000, though, she was topping the charts with more of a hip-hop flare with tracks like "There You Go.”

Anyone alive in the year 2000 will instantly start singing "I Wanna Know" by Joe if those three words are mentioned anywhere within earshot of them because, back then, that was the song on everyone’s minds. Played around the clock, "I Wanna Know" was the “Espresso” of its time. Since then, Joe has dropped 10 albums, including 2016’s My Name Is Joe Thomas, and continued to tour.

Lonestar had made their presence known in the country music scene when they debuted in the mid-90s, but had their mainstream crossover success at the end of the decade with "Amazed.” By 2000, it was in the top 10 on Billboard’s Year-End chart. Lonestar has had some lineup shake-ups, but that hasn’t stopped the country band. They’re still making music and touring.

"Say My Name" was just one of the many songs from Destiny’s Child that dominated the tail end of the ‘90s and the start of the 21st century. Then, the group ceased to exist a couple of years after their 2004 release, Destiny Fulfilled . Which, that album title sent a message now, didn’t it? Fans of the group couldn’t stay sad for long, though, as each Child of Destiny has gone on to do just fine. Michelle Williams went to Broadway, Kelly Rowland has also acted and released solo work, and as for Beyonce, she’s managed to do a little something-something since then: World domination.

In 1999, there was what people called the “Latin Invasion” in music with the likes of Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez, and Enrique Iglesias. There was also Marc Anthony with the MTV staple, "I Need to Know.” Of course, in the years that followed his biggest hit on the charts, Anthony married Jennifer Lopez, divorced Jennifer Lopez, and all the while releasing almost a dozen records.

Madonna is an artist who has reinvented herself with each new decade since her career kicked off in the ‘80s. In the 2000s, she went all in with “Music.” To millennials, this will always conjure up visions of Madonna in all white and a cowboy hat doing the absolute most in the back of a limo via the video that played around the clock on both MTV and VH1. Of course, Madonna has not gone anywhere since then. She went on a massive world tour in 2024, with a stop in South America that garnered over 1.5 million attendees.

When it comes to Superman, there is Christoper Reeve and 3 Doors Down, thanks to their massive 2000 single "Kryptonite.” Some might think they went on to be a one-hit wonder, but the Mississippi band had a few other major showings on the charts through the rest of the early ‘00s. All of that has led the band to continue to relish within the Dad Rock scene, touring with others that reside in that realm like Creed.

Would a song like “Thong Song” manage to go anywhere in the year 2025? It’s hard to tell. Perhaps it’d be a quick hit via TikTok, but alas, that may be where it started and ended. Not 25 years ago though. Sisqó rose to fame with Dru Hill and later found his own success as a solo artist. While he shined the brightest then, he’s managed to keep his name out there by touring and releasing music, as well as appearing on reality shows like The Masked Singer.

By the year 2000, Christina Aguilera was already a household name and a Grammy winner. With time she’s added more awards to her name, released more music, cemented herself as a pop diva icon, coached on The Voice , and introduced herself to a new generation by working alongside Sabrina Carpenter.

Vertical Horizon owned the radio with "Everything You Want,” but has since laid low. The band announced in 2024 that new music was on the way though.

Back in the day, Toni Braxton would release a banger every so often, and in this instance, it was "He Wasn't Man Enough" in February 2000. Braxton’s music never stopped coming, and she also made a splash on the small screen in TV movies, reality TV on both The Masked Singer and Braxton Family Values, as well as on the hit CBS sitcom, The Neighborhood.

Brian McKnight got numerical for his 2000 hit, "Back at One.” A staple in music, McKnight has never gone far. Although he hasn’t had any chart toppers in a minute, he is still working on his own music and behind the scenes with other artists as a producer.

Creed took the world "Higher,” and then the world turned its back on the Florida rock band as they went from No. 1 to a sort of joke overnight. The band even parted ways in 2004 after a decade together, only to reunite in 2009 before calling it quits again after a few more years. However, thanks to a resurgence in popularity the band got back together in 2023 to ride out the newfound love people had for them.

Thanks to artists like Garth Brooks and Shania Twain, mainstream radio started to open its doors to country artists with a bit more pop to their sound, and no one took more advantage of that opening than Faith Hill. "Breathe" was the No. 1 song on Billboard’s Year-End chart for 2000 and was far from her last hit on the charts. Faith remained a constant in music since, but in recent years, she hasn’t been as active but still manages to make a scene when she steps out as she is a bonafide legend.

NSYNC is forever a pop culture phenomenon due to being a huge part of why boy bands were everything and everywhere at the turn of the century. Despite the group parting ways after 2000’s Celebrity, they’ve managed to keep fans on the edge of their seats, hoping for a reunion one day. In 2018, they came together to receive a star on the Walk of Fame, as well as in 2023, to promote a song for Trolls Band Together . A year later, they performed together at an LA show of Justin Timberlake’s, but an incident pretty much tanked Timberlake’s world tour, and word of an official NSYNC reunion, residency, or album became sort of mute.

When one thinks back to the 2000s, Mya is definitely one of the artists that comes to mind. She had a handful of staples including "Case of the Ex (Whatcha Gonna Do).” Mya has since remained music releasing half a dozen albums and opening up for Xscape and SWV on 2024’s Queens of R&B Tour.